Happily Never After: The Struggles of Dating in Your 30s
by Fairusa84
Summary: After getting her heart broken - again - Bella decides to try her hand at online dating. Easier said than done.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Fuck off, you dickwad!"Alice bites out. "You're lucky we're in public, or I wouldn't be so civil."

For such a petite girl, my best friend can be quite menacing, and she packs a mean punch. The dickwad in question, James, tries to play innocent, but I've had it with his games, and so have my friends.

"You've got some nerve coming here with your new tramp," Alice continues, shooting daggers at the redhead by his side, whose necklace spells _Vicki_. "You know we're here every Friday for cocktails!"

"It's a free world, sweetheart," he has the audacity to point out.

"And you're free not to flaunt your new piece of ass in front of your supposed ex," my other friend Rosalie lectures him. "Does she know you've been sleeping with Bella after you broke up? I recall you doing the walk of shame from our apartment last _Sunday_ ," she emphasizes, to which Vicki visibly pales.

I take some satisfaction in knowing he's been playing her as well, but this whole incident has extinguished my enjoyment of the evening out, as well as made me nauseated.

"Can we just go? I ask my friends. "I'm not in the mood to be humiliated."

My girls immediately flank me and gather our purses.

As we move toward the exit, I call over my shoulder to Vicki to enjoy it while it lasts. The last glance I see of them is Vicki tearing into James, undoubtedly about what Rosalie just revealed.

Alice is quick to hail a cab, and thankfully keeps her composure until we're in its backseat. She spends the ride home ranting about how worthless James is, that he's a cad for stringing me along, and that I'm better off without him. Rosalie is silently fuming beside me, but I'm just numb.

* * *

 **A/N** This is the start of a new story that's been playing on my mind lately. I'll post chapters as I finish them, so there won't be a set schedule. If you'd like to keep up-to-date, just hit that follow button!


	2. 1 A Clean Slate

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **A Clean Slate**

The incident during cocktail hour is what I needed to get my head out of my ass where James is concerned. I'd been so caught up in him that I didn't recognize that I was more in love with the idea of us than him. I'm not even sure love was ever really a factor in our relationship.

A few weeks later, Alice comes over on a Saturday evening, and we spend several bottles of chardonnay and copious amounts of chocolate dissecting the last year and a half.

"Do you know that he never once said he loved me?" I blurt out halfway through my second glass.

"You're kidding," Rosalie comments, to which I shake my head.

"Nope. Not once in over a year."

"Did you love him?" Alice asks.

"I thought I did at the time. Now, I'm not so sure," I muse.

We sip our wine in silence for a few minutes, until another realization pops up.

"He was so jealous, though!"

"Yes!" Rosalie agrees. "And very controlling. Emmett told me that he tried to threaten him for hanging out with us without him there."

We delve further into that particular trait and agree that James had been trying to control who I'd hang out with and where I'd go. He'd even tried to change small things about me, such as the way I dressed. And I'd been so caught up in him that I didn't recognize his behavior as controlling, or damaging to my self-esteem. I was convinced he acted this way because he loved me, but struggled to put it into words. Looking back, the manipulation is clear as day, but at the time I was blinded. Even breaking up wasn't clean-cut with him; he claimed he needed some space but wanted to stay in touch.

"Typical," Alice scoffs. "He wanted to keep you available to him without having the commitment."

"And that's what he got for a while," I admit sheepishly. "A few weeks later he invited me out to dinner and claimed he was beginning to feel like he was in a much better place, so I became hopeful that we could work things out."

"Oh Bella," Rosalie sighs sympathetically.

"I know, I know," I say. "I've been stupid to believe him."

"No, sweetie," she insists. "You thought you were in love. It can happen to the best of us."

I wallow in self-pity for a while before I'm fed up.

"This is ridiculous!" I exclaim, nearly sloshing my wine over my glass. "I'm a successful, independent woman with her own business and a college degree. I may have been hung up on that jerk before, but recent events have made sure I'm well and truly over him."

"You tell 'em, hon!" Alice cheers me on.

"There must be a guy out there who appreciates me for who I am," I continue. "If only I knew where to find him."

Meeting new people and dating was pretty uncomplicated back in college, but in recent years, the influx into our social group has diminished.

"Definitely not in a bar," Rosalie decides. "The guys available there are usually only looking to get laid."

I pull a face at that notion. "Not what I'm looking for. Those days are long gone."

We giggle drunkenly at that, remembering our carefree college days.

"You could give online dating a try," Rosalie suggests. "My friend Vera met her husband that way."

It's worth a shot, I figure, so I ask Rosalie to ask her friend which site she used. While we wait for her to reply, we do some googling to see what kind of dating websites are available. The religious ones are immediately ruled out, as are the ones that look like a digital version of a bar, in that people mostly judge on appearance and are looking for a quick hook-up. When Vera responds, we check out the site she suggests.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" I say as I click the button to sign up.


	3. 2 Building a Profile

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Building a Profile**

 _Hi, I'm Bella! Washington native UW graduate and small business owner in Seattle. Thoroughly enjoying my life, but would be nice to meet someone to share it with._

 _Requirements: Seattle area, 30s, preferably non-smoker, definitely no kids._

 _Likes: books, travelling, dogs (just got a puppy!), intelligence, Halloween, humor._

 _Serious applicants only ;-)_

"What do you think?" I ask Rosalie, while stroking my sleepy puppy's soft fur.

He was a gift from Alice and her husband Jasper. They picked up the fluffy shih tzu and pekingese mix from a shelter for me. Alice explained that she wanted me to have something to cuddle and care for, and – in her words – "at least one guy who'll love you unconditionally". His fur is a dusty grey speckled with light brown, so I've named him Dusty.

"I like it," Rose comments. "It's comprehensive without being wordy, and cheerful without being flighty. You've also made it clear what you're after."

"And what do you think of the pictures I added?" I ask.

In this unfamiliar situation, a little reassurance can't hurt, and I know Rosalie will be honest with me.

"They're great! They show that beautiful smile of yours, some of your interests, your travels… This is a very nice profile, sweetie."

"Alright, here goes nothing," I sigh, and click the button to upload my profile. "Now what?"

"Now we take that sweet puppy for a walk," Rosalie says decidedly, closing my laptop.

As if on cue, Dusty stretches and yawns. I love when he naps on my lap or next to me on the couch, but he's still too small to get off the couch by himself, so I set him down on the floor. As young as he is, though, he's catching on quickly regarding potty training, and scampers off towards the hallway and our front door.

Rosalie and I slip on our shoes and jackets, and I attach Dusty's leash to his collar, before we make our way downstairs and outside. Because he's only three months old, we don't go for a long walk, but there's a small park a few blocks over. We let him run up and down between us for a few minutes, before we make our way back to the apartment.

When we get home, he immediately runs to his water bowl for a drink. Following his example, I open a bottle of wine for Rosalie and myself, while she orders dinner from our favorite Thai restaurant. The food arrives halfway through our second glass, and we're quick to plate up our spicy vegetable curries, with shrimp for Rosalie and tofu for me.

"Let's see about initial reactions to your profile," Rosalie announces excitedly once our plates are in the dishwasher and the leftovers are in the fridge.

"I'm not looking for a date right this instant, remember," I remind her.

"Of course not," she waves away my concerns. "But it doesn't hurt to put some feelers out."

I'm admittedly curious, too, so I open up my browser and log on to the website. So far, 127 men have viewed my profile, 39 have marked it as favorite, and 16 have sent a wink. There are even a few messages already.

The first two are readily dismissed based on age alone; one is barely legal while the other is around my dad's age. The third at least meets the age and area criteria, but his message is less than stellar.

 _Hi Bella, I like your vibe._

 _How are you?_

When I click to view his profile, I'm not impressed. He describes himself as average and separated. Now, obviously I'm not looking for a guy who thinks he's the new Brad Pitt, but if he considers himself average looking, he either has insecurity issues or is out of shape, to say the least. His pictures don't really give me much to go on, either: three selfies, all taken fairly up close, none with a smile. Rosalie sees my frown and turns the laptop her way.

"Not too bad, not too bad," she muses. "But also not for you."

"I get this guy, he at least meets some of my criteria, but the other two…"

"They'll try regardless, hoping someone bites. You don't have to respond to any of them if you don't want to, you know."

"Wasn't planning on it. Give them an inch, you know?"

We both laugh and refill our glasses. I decide to leave things be for now, and just see what other kind of responses I get over the next few days.

This should be interesting.


	4. 3 Jerks

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 **Jerks**

Over the next few days, I check my account periodically and browse through some profiles. Nothing really jumps out to me yet, and I start to wonder if perhaps I'm being too picky. Granted, there are plenty of questionable profiles, with gold chain necklaces in bushy chest hair, _dudebro_ pictures as if they're on _Jersey Shore_ , or just simply geeks who don't appeal to me. There will probably be women out there who like these men, but I'm not one of them. However, I'm determined to find at least one decent profile today.

I decide to go through my messages to see if any of those look promising. Dusty is snuggled into my side, and I run my hand through his soft fur while scrolling through my inbox. After deleting the ones that are either too young or too old, I filter through the ones that didn't bother writing a message, just sending a "what's up" or "hi". If they can't be bothered to make an effort, neither can I.

One of them is persistent in his shout-outs, though, so I take a moment to look over his profile. Nothing about it appeals to me, so I go to delete his message. In the meantime, though, he has sent another, accusing me of being a fake profile, and threatening to report me. I'm not sure how the website deals with such reports, so I decide to err on the side of caution.

 _Hi, thanks for your message. I'm sorry you think this is a fake profile just because I haven't replied to you. I'm in no way obligated to reply to every message. You could also take my lack of response to mean that I'm simply not interested, and move on. Best of luck!_

Pretty polite, if I do say so myself.

Apparently not, because while I'm going through the other messages, multiple alerts pop up, signaling replies from _master365_. When I click to open them, I'm bombarded with a variety of slurs. Tempted to respond in kind, I force myself to take the high road and ignore him.

But not before blocking his profile.

Satisfied with the way I handled this prime example of entitlement, I entice Dusty to a game of tug-of-war.

Having filtered through the messages, the next day I decide to have a look at the profiles that listed me as a favorite. Again, there are a lot that don't even meet my basic requirements for age and location. I linger on the profile of a guy from Tacoma. He's 35, works in hospitality, and likes outdoor sports. Not what I'd typically go for, but then again, what I'd typically go for hasn't worked out so well in the past. Clicking through his photos, I'm not overly excited, but also not repulsed. He's just… average. Taking a few pictures of the screen with my phone, I send them, along with my observations, to Alice. Her reply comes a few minutes later.

 _He seems okay, just a bit blah. What else did you see? ~A_

 _Old guys asking to be my sugar daddy… ~B_

 _Ugh! That's disgusting! Isn't there a way to block them from seeing your profile if they don't even meet the most basic requirements? ~A_

 _I wish. I can block individual profiles, though. Which I did yesterday. ~B_

 _But what do you think? Should I give him a chance to make a better second impression? ~B_

 _Why not? If you don't like him after chatting with him, you don't have to meet up or whatever. ~A_

 _Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes. ~B_

We chat for a few more minutes, wondering how Rosalie's weekend in Palm Springs with Emmett is going. Then, Dusty reminds me it's time for his dinner, so I tell Alice I have to go and to say hi to Jasper for me. While Dusty munches on his kibble, I preheat the oven for the salmon and spinach puff pastry that'll be my dinner. After setting the timer, I take my puppy for a walk around the block which takes twice as long as it could, because he insists on sniffing everything that crosses his path. When we get back, my dinner still needs a few minutes in the oven, so I set Dusty up with a snack and some toys.

After dinner, I fix myself a cup of tea, a habit I picked up during my semester in the UK, and settle on the couch with my laptop. I notice that the guy I'd been looking at earlier has sent me a message, so I click on it.

 _Hi, can I just say that your profile blew me away? I've been checking it out for the last week but was trying to work up to courage to send you a message. Could you tell me something about yourself that's not obvious from your profile? Looking forward to hearing from you, Paul._

Well, at least his initial message shows some thought and consideration. I send him a gif of an anime girl blushing, to let him know I'm flattered by his message. Then I take a few minutes to come up with something specific without giving too much away.

 _I'm one of the few Americans who don't microwave their tea. I actually have an electric kettle for that._

That launches us into a conversation about travelling. I learn that he works for a camping and outdoor sports company, prefers sticking to the Pacific Northwest, and likes dogs but doesn't have any pets himself. He sends a few more pictures, most of them taken at work, and while they're a good representation of his personality, I'm not feeling any attraction yet. Just when I'm debating whether or not an actual date would be a good idea to see if I might like him in real life, he sends me another message.

 _I don't have any plans tomorrow. Why don't I drive up to your place and we can see how things go face to face?_

That's a bit too forward for my liking, so I tell him I'm not available on such short notice, but we could look at next weekend to meet for coffee.

 _Look, let's be honest. I'm not looking for anything serious right now, but you've got killer looks and I think we could have a good time. What do you say we scratch a mutual itch?_

Although I'm somewhat flattered by his comment about my apparent killer looks, I'm stunned at being propositioned like that. A polite but firm rejection seems like the best course of action here.

 _Paul, we hardly know each other, and I'm not looking for an easy hook-up. If you'd want to meet for coffee to get to know each other better, I'm open to that, but otherwise, you're better off trying your luck elsewhere. Bella._

 _Oh, you're one of those, right?_ comes his instant reply, the sarcasm almost dripping off the screen.

 _What do you mean?_

 _You're looking for a guy to marry. Well guess what? You won't meet someone like that if you won't even agree to a date._

I roll my eyes at his bitter assumption, then type a quick response.

 _Just FYI, there's a big difference between a date and a bootie call. I suggest you try out Tinder; I've heard it's better suited for the latter. Bye._

Then I hit "block profile" before he gets a chance to reply.

Jerk.


	5. 4 Broadening Horizons

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Broadening Horizons**

Once I block those two jerks, I log off and decide not to bother for the rest of the weekend. I spend my evening snuggling with Dusty and watching a movie. On Sunday, I decide to give the apartment a bit of a clean and run a load of laundry. Dusty is a bit skeptical about the vacuum, but eager to "help" sorting the laundry. I have to stop him from climbing into the washing machine to investigate. Of course, this calls for a ton of pictures to be taken and sent to Alice, Rosalie, my parents, and my colleague Angela. They all reply with variations of _awww how cute_ , which is to be expected.

Rosalie reminds me that she'll be back quite late, and will be staying at Emmett's.

 _I'll tell you all about our trip tomorrow. Em and I are cooking dinner. Ali and Jazz are also coming._

I let her know that I'm looking forward to it, and wish them a safe flight. This saves me having to come up with something to cook, so I'm all for it.

One of the benefits of owning my own business is that I don't have to leave Dusty alone too much, since I can take him into work with me. The only area he's not allowed is behind the counter, due to hygiene regulations. He's usually happy playing with customers in the lounge area, or he goes with me into my office when I have to do some paperwork. I keep a bag of his kibble and some toys in my office, so I don't have to lug them back and forth.

When I arrive on Monday morning, Angela is already there, getting the coffee going and placing today's batch of cupcakes in the display case on the counter.

Angela and I met in college, both of us taking some business courses alongside our majors. We got on well, and quickly realized we shared an interest in books. Angela is also a wiz with a Kitchen Aid, so before that year was through, we had already written a business plan for _Sprinkles of Imagination_ , a small bookshop with coffee counter serving homemade cupcakes. We broke even in our third year and have been making decent profits over the last ten years, allowing us to hire someone to cover weekends and afternoons. Seeing as Angela does all of the baking herself, it's nice having her be able to go home at a decent hour for that, while still having the counter and register covered.

Upon entering the shop, I unclip the leash from Dusty's collar, and he rushes over to greet Angela excitedly. As little as he is, he has already learned not to go behind the counter. Doggy treats are a great help in this regard.

"Hi, you cutie pie!" Angela coos, bending down to scoop the fluffy puppy into her arms.

He wriggles happily and licks her nose.

"Hey Ang, how was your weekend?" I ask, depositing my coat and purse in the office.

"Great, thanks. Ben's parents were finally able to visit. They were so excited to see the actual sonogram pictures, instead of on a screen," she replies.

Angela and her husband Ben found out she's pregnant about two months ago, but busy schedules made it difficult to tell his family face-to-face.

"I bet," I say. "And now you're starting to show a bit, so they probably loved that."

"They did," she confirms, a hand dropping down to her small bump. "His mom kept wanting to touch my bump, which was a bit weird at first. But she also took me shopping to browse for baby supplies, which was nice. And they bought us the stroller we've been looking to get."

"That's awesome! I can only imagine how expensive those things are."

"It's ridiculous, actually, but now we have a stroller we can use for about a year and a half for this baby, and we do hope to have another one at some point, so it's a good investment. And I know his parents are happy to contribute, so I call that a win. Anyway, how was your weekend?"

"Pretty quiet. Just hung out with Dusty and did some housework."

"How's the online dating going?" she then asks. "Any luck so far?"

I can't help the grimace from taking over my face.

"That bad, huh?" she says sympathetically.

"Let's just say that I'm not exactly impressed yet."

I tell her about the profiles I've browsed and the messages over the weekend. Angela's mouth actually drops open when I tell her about the audacity of the guy propositioning me.

"So he was basically looking for a hook-up?" she asks.

"Looks like it," I reply, shrugging. "I wasn't all that interested to begin with, but I thought I'd give him a chance."

"That must've been disappointing."

"It was. Anyway, I'm giving it a rest for now. The books are calling me."

I spend my morning going over our accounts, checking our sales figures, and placing orders for new stock. Mondays are usually fairly quiet, allowing me to get a lot of work done with few interruptions. Just after noon, Bree comes in for her afternoon shift. Since Angela is currently assisting a customer, I pop into the deli across the street to pick up some sandwiches for us. When I return, Angela is waiting for me at one of the tables in our lounge area with two large mugs; coffee for me, tea for her. We eat our lunch while talking about nothing of consequence. Once we've finished our sandwiches, we still have about ten minutes left on our lunch break, and Bree looks to be managing nicely.

"Can I have a look at that dating site?" Angela asks.

"Looking to replace Ben so soon?" I joke while picking Dusty up onto my lap.

"Haha, very funny. I'm just curious to see what kind of guys it suggests for you. Perhaps I can help you narrow down some criteria."

Figuring another pair of friendly eyes can't hurt, I collect my laptop from the office and log into the dating site. Angela peruses my profile for a moment to verify that she knows what I'm looking for in a man, then navigates to the _shuffle_ function of the site.

"If you browse based on set criteria only, some profiles might slip through. This way, you can quickly swipe through a wider variety, and maybe something will catch your eye," she explains.

I nod my understanding of her reasoning, and she sets to work. After a couple of minutes of clicking _no_ on profiles that are either much too young, too old, fathers, or definitely not my type, she shows me a profile I haven't come across yet, because it's slightly over my set age target.

Apparently, this Eric is 42, lives just outside of Seattle, and works as a photographer. He's included the obligatory selfie, but also a picture where he's snuggling his cat, as well as a few pretty snapshots of the area. He's not unattractive, based on what I can tell from the pictures, so I decide to send him a wink and see what happens. After that, we log off and continue work for the rest of the afternoon.

I don't have time to log in again, because Rosalie and Emmett are already busy preparing dinner when I get home with Dusty, and Alice and Jasper are also quick to arrive. After a round of hugs and greetings, Emmett is quick to pop open a bottle of champagne, which is a bit over the top, but so is he at times. Rosalie indulges him, and hands out glasses to us so he can pour. Once everyone has a full glass, we all turn expectant eyes towards Emmett, who looks like the cat that ate the canary.

"Rosie said yes!" he exclaims jubilantly.

Although I have a fairly good idea what he's talking about, I can't resist teasing him a little.

"Could you give us some context, Em?" I ask. "For all we know, you asked for butt sex, and, as much as I love you both, I could do without knowing those kinds of details."

"Yeah, walking in on you guys that one time was more than enough," Jasper chimes in.

Alice giggles hysterically, while Rosalie rolls her eyes. I like how we're all so comfortable around each other, that my friend's husband continues my joke. Emmett is a good sport about it, too, and yanks Rosalie into his side, wrapping a beefy arm around her waist.

"While we were in Palm Springs, I proposed, and Rosalie agreed to marry me," he explains solemnly.

At this, both Alice and I squeal in excitement, with Alice jumping up and down for good measure. We rush to hug them both, then pester Rosalie to show us the ring. It's a decently sized diamond, but not too ostentatious. Rosalie may look like a bombshell, but her taste in jewelry is rather classic. We congratulate Emmett on his choice of ring, with Rosalie joking that she'd have made him exchange it if it had been too flashy. Luckily, Emmett knows his bride well.

We enjoy our dinner together, talking about wedding plans, Palm Springs, and work. Rosalie assures me that she won't be in a rush to move in with Emmett, and our lease isn't up for another few months, so there's plenty of time to decide what to do there.

After dinner, I set our fancy coffee maker to work making cappuccinos for us all. Alice offers to take Dusty for his evening walk, and he happily scampers off to show her his leash. Rosalie joins me in the kitchen, helping me prepare everyone's coffee.

"There's one thing that was clear pretty soon after Emmett proposed," she starts. "After accepting, of course. We don't have a date yet, but I knew straight away that I'd love for you to be my maid of honor. Would you?"

I'm momentarily struck silent. Rosalie, Alice and I have been friends pretty much since diapers, and she was Alice's maid of honor since she was marrying Rosalie's brother. I always figured she'd ask Alice, so I must admit this catches me by surprise. I feel myself choking up a bit, which I wasn't expecting.

"Of course, sweetie. Whatever you need, just let me know," I answer her.

We share a tearful hug before we compose ourselves and serve everyone their coffees.

Once Alice and Jasper have gone home, I excuse myself for the night, seeing as it's already quite late. Dusty is dozing on Emmett's lap, and I gently pick him up to put him in his bed in my room. Lying in bed, I find myself unable to doze off myself. Curious to see whether Eric has responded to my wink, I open up my laptop and log into the dating site. There is a message from Eric, sent not even an hour after I sent him that wink.

 _Hi Bella,_

 _Let me start by saying I am pleasantly surprised to receive your wink. I'm also quite impressed by your profile and your pics. You seem like a confident woman with an interesting life. I'd like to get to know you better, if you'd like._

 _Looking forward to hearing from you,_

 _Eric_

* * *

 **A/N Thanks to my friend Natalie for helping me come up with the name of the bookstore. My apologies for the delay in updating; real life and about a dozen book reviews I signed up for got a bit in the way of my own writing.**


	6. 5 Disappointingly Underwhelming

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer and Summit/Lionsgate own the rights to the _Twilight_ franchise and its affiliates. These words, however, are the product of my own imagination. No copyright infringement intended, but also, please don't copy as your own.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 **Disappointingly Underwhelming**

Over the next few days I exchange several messages with Eric, and conversation flows mostly naturally. I'm not much of a hiker, but he's passionate about it and talks about it in great detail, referencing the pictures on his profile. We're both animal lovers, and his tales of his cat Dash's antics rival my anecdotes about Dusty.

After about a week he invites me out to coffee, and I suggest a coffee house near Pike Place Market. I prefer to err on the side of caution, and don't want to give out my address or phone number too soon. Same goes for the shop's.

I arrive at the coffee house about five minutes late, but don't spot him. He messaged me earlier that he'll be wearing a red shirt, so he should be easy to locate. Pulling up the dating site on my phone, I see he's messaged me again.

 _Hi Bella,_

 _I'm on my way, but the swing bridge I need to cross has been open for quite some time. There's a lot of traffic waiting now, so I'm afraid I'll be running a bit late. Please order yourself something to tide you over and put it on a tab for the table. I'll be happy to cover it when I get there. See you soon!_

 _Eric_

I'm slightly disappointed at the delay, but glad he at least has the courtesy to let me know. I send him a quick reply and choose a table from where I can see the door.

It takes two large macchiatos, and me debating whether or not to order a scone, for him to show up, smiling apologetically. The shirt definitely stands out. It's nice to see he's comfortable dressing in such loud colors.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. Traffic was murderous! You look lovely, by the way."

"Thank you. Well, at least you got here in one piece. And I appreciate you letting me know, otherwise I would've thought you stood me up."

"Oh, I'd never do that!" he exclaims. "My mother raised me better than that."

I'm a bit thrown by his energy. Based on our chat conversations he seemed a little more laidback than this exuberant persona. Not sure how to respond, I simply smile. Thankfully, a waitress appears to take our order. He orders an elaborate drink with an extra espresso shot. He's already pretty energetic, making me wonder if that much caffeine is a wise idea, but I hold my tongue. For myself, I decide on a nice Darjeeling tea, feeling that I can do without the additional buzz I get from too much coffee.

Eric regales me of his arduous trip into the city while we wait for our drinks. He also shows me some more pictures he's taken on his hikes throughout the state. He's definitely more flamboyant than I expected, but overall nice.

About half an hour into the actual date, Rosalie texts me, per our agreement, to check on me and see if I need an escape. I let her know I'm fine, no rescue needed.

 _Good to hear. But don't forget we're doing some preliminary wedding planning this evening, so don't stay out too late. You'll want to leave him wanting more. I'm ordering Italian,_ comes her reply.

I smile at her encouragement and put away my phone.

"Good report?" Eric asks.

"Huh?" I ask, momentarily confused. "Oh, you mean the message. My roommate was just reminding me I agreed to help her with something later today."

We chat for a while longer, exchanging anecdotes. When there's a lull in the conversation, I decide to excuse myself.

"Well, Eric, it's been real nice meeting you, but I've got to go help my friend."

Pushing my chair back, I stand up and extend my hand. He surprises me by leaning in and placing a kiss on my cheek, causing me to freeze. Thankfully, I quickly recover, and manage to smile at him as I pull on my jacket.

"So, how did it go?" Rosalie asks while setting out take-out containers on our coffee table.

I shrug in response, thinking how to formulate my answer.

"You don't seem too excited," she observes.

I have to admit that she's right, which makes me wonder. Am I expecting too much? I don't remember dating being this complicated.

"He was nice enough," I reply. "He was late because of a traffic situation, but he sent me a message to let me know."

"That's considerate."

"We had a nice chat, but nothing too special. Maybe my expectations were too high? I don't know," I continue, picking up my carton of salmon and spinach cream tagliatelle.

"Did he ask you out again?" she asks.

"Not during the date, but I haven't checked my messages yet. He did try to kiss me, though, which was a bit awkward."

Rose grimaces in sympathy.

"What did you do?"

"Well, it landed on my cheek, which wasn't so bad, but I didn't know how to respond, so I just smiled and left."

We dissect my date, as well as my lack of enthusiasm, for a while longer while we eat our dinner. Once we've cleared the remains, Rosalie goes to collect her notebook and some wedding information from her room. I take the opportunity to log onto the dating site. Sure enough, Eric sent me a message.

 _Hi Bella,_

 _I hope you're having fun with your friend. Traffic on the way back home was much more agreeable, thankfully. I really enjoyed meeting you, and the sparkle in your eyes is embedded into my memory. I'd love to see you again and get to know you better. At the risk of coming across as too forward, would two weeks from now suit you? We're doing some remodeling next weekend, so unfortunately I won't be available sooner. Hoping to hear from you soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!_

 _Eric_

I show Rosalie the message when she returns to the living room.

"We?" she asks.

"I was wondering the same thing. His profile says he lives with his cat, but I doubt _he_ 'll be wielding a hammer."

I decide to enquire further, but not outright question his living situation.

 _Hey Eric,_

 _Glad to hear you got home okay. I'll have to check my schedule closer to the date, so let me get back to you on your suggestion. What kind of remodeling will you be doing?_

 _Bella_

Setting my phone aside, I focus on Rosalie and what she needs my help with in regards to her wedding plans. We set some preliminary dates for dress shopping and a bachelorette night, and I ask her to provide me with a list of people she'd like to invite for both occasions.

I'll give Eric the benefit of the doubt for now.


End file.
